- A
Use the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay.
Correct: Serverless tier with auto-pause pauses the database during inactivity, saving costs outside business hours.
- B
Use the Hyperscale tier with a minimum of 1 vCore and disable auto-pause.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Hyperscale is designed for large workloads and is not cost-effective for non-production testing.
- C
Use the provisioned General Purpose tier with 2 vCores and disable auto-pause.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Provisioned tier incurs cost continuously even when not in use, leading to higher costs.
- D
Use the provisioned Business Critical tier with 1 vCore and enable auto-pause.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Business Critical is more expensive and auto-pause is not available for provisioned tiers.
Quick Answer
The correct choice is the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay, as this directly aligns with the cost-optimization goal for a non-production Azure SQL Database used only during business hours. The serverless tier automatically pauses the database after the specified delay of inactivity—here, one hour—so it will scale down to zero compute costs overnight and on weekends, charging only for storage during idle periods. On the DP-300 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to match compute tiers to workload patterns, with a common trap being selecting a provisioned tier or a longer auto-pause delay that wastes cost during predictable downtime. Remember that for development or testing databases with clear usage windows, serverless with a short delay is the most efficient. A useful memory tip: think “9-to-5, pause at 5:01” to recall that a one-hour delay ensures the database stays active through the workday but pauses soon after.
DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
This DP-300 practice question tests your understanding of plan and implement data platform resources. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You are responsible for cost optimization of a non-production Azure SQL Database that is used for development testing. The database is only active during business hours (9 AM to 5 PM) on weekdays. Which compute tier and configuration would minimize cost while ensuring the database is available during working hours?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay.
The serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay is the most cost-effective choice for a non-production database used only during business hours. Serverless automatically pauses the database after 1 hour of inactivity (e.g., overnight and weekends), charging only for compute during active periods and storage at all times. This aligns perfectly with the 9 AM–5 PM weekday usage pattern, minimizing cost while ensuring the database is available when needed.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay.
Why this is correct
Correct: Serverless tier with auto-pause pauses the database during inactivity, saving costs outside business hours.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use the Hyperscale tier with a minimum of 1 vCore and disable auto-pause.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Hyperscale is designed for large workloads and is not cost-effective for non-production testing.
- ✗
Use the provisioned General Purpose tier with 2 vCores and disable auto-pause.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Provisioned tier incurs cost continuously even when not in use, leading to higher costs.
- ✗
Use the provisioned Business Critical tier with 1 vCore and enable auto-pause.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Business Critical is more expensive and auto-pause is not available for provisioned tiers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume any tier with auto-pause enabled is sufficient, but they overlook that the underlying tier (e.g., Business Critical or Hyperscale) has a much higher base cost and is not designed for cost-optimized dev/test scenarios, making serverless the only truly cost-effective choice for intermittent usage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the serverless compute tier uses a billing model where compute is billed per second based on vCore and memory usage, and auto-pause suspends the database engine, freeing compute resources entirely. The 1-hour auto-pause delay is a configurable grace period that prevents frequent pauses during short idle bursts (e.g., lunch breaks), but after 1 hour of no connections or activity, the database is paused and compute costs drop to zero. In a real-world scenario, if developers occasionally run long queries or scripts that keep the database active, the auto-pause delay ensures the database remains available without incurring unnecessary pause/resume cycles.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-300 question test?
Plan and implement data platform resources — This question tests Plan and implement data platform resources — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay. — The serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay is the most cost-effective choice for a non-production database used only during business hours. Serverless automatically pauses the database after 1 hour of inactivity (e.g., overnight and weekends), charging only for compute during active periods and storage at all times. This aligns perfectly with the 9 AM–5 PM weekday usage pattern, minimizing cost while ensuring the database is available when needed.
What should I do if I get this DP-300 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This DP-300 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-300 exam.
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